Chin

NONE OF its members won the night's big award, but Jamaica's Combined Martial Arts Team was more than happy to finally gain national accolades at last Thursday's Sports Foundation of Jamaica Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards ceremony.

Presented with an award for excellence in martial arts throughout 2006, the Combined Martial Arts Team believes it has finally broken through the minor sport barrier, which had kept it out of national reckoning for more than two years.

Great achievement

"It's a great achievement for the Combined Team and martial arts in general," said coach Claude Chin. "For a minor sport, it is the first time martial arts has received this type of recognition from the foundation," he said.

"It was a pleasure for us and we thank the foundation. It was hard work for the past two years. Our glory was in beating Japan in Japan. In my opinion, that was the greatest accomplishment."

After three years of travelling the world and competing against countries as far away as Asia and conquering almost all their rivals, the team was rewarded for excellence in martial arts at the glitzy ceremony held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel.

The team, attired in matching martial arts suits, was in full attendance at the function, which saw world 100-metre record holder Asafa Powell and his MVP Club teammate, Sherone Simpson, the world's fastest woman last year, being awarded the top prizes of Sportsman and Woman of the Year 2006.

Aiming at national honours for 2004, the Combined Martial Arts team, popularly known as the Busta Fighters, set out on a win streak - 14 straight victories away from home, hoping that feat, unprecedented by a national team, would have been rewarded by the then Carreras Sports Foundation of Jamaica.

Victories

The team tried again in 2005 and recorded four consecutive tour victories including England but was again overlooked. However, they stepped up a notch last year, recording impressive victories over Asian and European competition.

Victories over the Japanese International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF) team at the Tri-Asian Championship in Gifu plus a win over team fighting world champions Poland at the ITF World Cup of Tae Kwon Do in Spain were too much to be ignored.

In addition, the Combined Team won two gold medals at the US Open World Championship and successfully defended the regional Busta Caribbean Championship in Havana, Cuba.

Chin said their achievements were mainly due to help of the team's sponsor, Jamaica Beverages.